Gov. John Hickenlooper recently commended state agencies and partners for their second year of significant investment in providing permanent supportive housing for homeless and special needs populations across Colorado.

The Department of Local Affairs will award 134 housing choice vouchers, and $7.1 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits will be awarded from Colorado Housing and Finance Authority in 2016 to support the creation of 246 units of Permanent Supportive Housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or with severe special needs in Boulder, Cañon City, Colorado Springs, Denver, Eagle County, Longmont and Towaoc on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation.

Each project represents a major milestone in the long-standing collaboration between the Governor’s Office, DOLA and CHFA to increase access to high-quality supportive housing for vulnerable populations with significant barriers to housing stability.

Permanent Supportive Housing is an outcome-driven housing intervention that links affordable housing with access to support services in order to help families and individuals struggling with addiction, mental health and/or other disabilities stay housed and live more productive lives.

These long-term rent subsidies, in combination with the estimated $57.9 million in equity to be generated from the sale of the federal and state LIHTC awarded, is expected to provide a significant economic impact to their respective communities